The decision to leave school early is typically a tough one for even the best hockey prospects. For Brendan Woods, it may have helped that he didn’t have much time to think.
One day, the 20-year-old center had begun his offseason, with his University of Wisconsin club eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament on March 29, and was expecting to return for his final two seasons of eligibility. The next, he was on a plane to Charlotte to begin his professional career.
“I didn’t talk to Carolina at all during the year and didn’t know what was going to happen,” said Woods, who the Hurricanes chose in his third and final year of draft eligibility with their fifth-round pick last summer. “When they called me with a three-year offer I was a little bit blindsided.”
Though surprising, it was certainly a good surprise.
“It’s awesome,” he said, following his first practice with the team at Thursday’s morning skate. “I’ve been a hockey fan all my life and it’s always been my dream to turn pro.”
Woods, still in Madison as of a few days ago, actually planned on arriving a day earlier, but his connecting flight from Chicago was delayed and then canceled, forcing him to stay with a college teammate’s family nearby. That only contributed to the whirlwind of a life-changing week, with Thursday’s practice quite literally not allowing him to take a breath.
As one of the healthy scratches for that night’s game against the Stars, he took part in some extra work with assistant coach Geordie Kinnear and the Hurricanes’ Cory Stillman and Glen Wesley – members of the team’s roving player development staff who happened to be in town – following the team session.
“I hadn’t skated in two weeks so this was a bagger today,” he said. “I’ve got to get in shape first before I worry about getting in the lineup, so I’m just going to try to be a sponge for the next few months and learn everything I can.”
Though this is his first experience as a player, Woods is no stranger to the pro game. He’s been around it all his life, with his father, former minor-league player and current Anaheim Ducks assistant coach Bob Woods, taking him along for a journey that included countless stops, including stints in three countries – the United States, Canada and, briefly, Austria.
The old “coach’s son” cliché may ring true for Woods, who has earned praise for his hockey sense as well his size (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) and physical play. His ability to win faceoffs is another plus, and a somewhat surprising one given that this past season was his first playing at center, either in college or at junior and youth levels.
“I always wanted to play center but (Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves) doesn’t really trust all of his young guys there at first,” he said. “I love it. You get a feel for both the offensive and defensive sides.”
As with many other players in his position who join AHL teams late in the season following the conclusion of their junior and college campaigns, there is no clear-cut plan as to when, or if, he will play this season. Coach Jeff Daniels said that he had only seen Woods play one game on video and would have to assess him now that he’s actually with the team.
That said, spots have a way of opening up, as is the case with 19-year-old Brock McGinn. Carolina’s second-round pick in 2012, he will make his professional debut on Thursday after a group of more experienced players either suffered injuries or departed for the NHL.
McGinn, who initially joined the team last week following the conclusion of his junior season in Guelph, seemed thankful that he had the opportunity to get his feet wet before jumping in headfirst.
“Practice has helped to get a feel for what it’s going to be like out there,” he said. “They’re a lot bigger, faster and stronger, and it’s definitely a big step from junior hockey.
“There are definitely some nerves with your first professional game, but at the same time it’s about playing your game and doing what they brought you in to do.”
Unlike McGinn, who will still not be old enough to start next season in the AHL and will spend one more season in junior, Woods, now that he has chosen to take the next step, could very well be a fixture in Charlotte next season.
Time will tell when he gets that first opportunity to play. For the time being, he didn’t see overly concerned.
“To be here, I couldn’t ask for anything else,” he said.
